Now what you all have been waiting for, the second part of the Big Ten Power rankings. Each team will be paired with a song that can describe their current state of being. Again we will work our way down to #1. And yes these songs are a good reflection of my music taste. It is also encouraged to play each song in the background as you read. Really adds to the flavor of the post and the songs themselves are classics.
6. Ohio State: "Reflection", Mulan (Christina Aguilera)
No I am not saying that Aaron Craft could secretly be a girl, despite his rosy cheeks (wait maybe this song fits better than I thought). Regardless this song describes a plea from Mulan to find her true self. I feel Ohio State fans were wondering the same thing about their roster without Sully and William Buford this season. We have seen the results and I think its proving that this team could be flawed. The contributing members from last years team (Smith/Thomas/Craft) are good, but not good enough to make up for there non-existent bench.
Lenzelle Smith was the perfect 5th man as a freshman. Very solid, few mistakes and never looked like the moment overwhelmed him. He actually has improved this season as well. Shooting above 40% from three and averaging in double figures. Unfortunately he can't be relied on to create opportunities for others and that is desperately what this team needs. Enter Deshaun Thomas. He has always been able to fill it up. He seems to be playing "Hot B-Bomb" from the original Mario Party the way he launches shots up alarmingly fast after catching the ball. Very similar to Melo, in that he needs to score for his team to win, but they have to make up for him on other areas. Can he be the #1 guy on a national champion? I think so, but with this team it is yet to be determined. Then there is Aaron Craft, a guy touted for his on ball defense and tenacity. This facet of his game was shown off in the win at home against Michigan. He bothered Trey Burke and took him out of his game in the first half. It is at the other end of the court where he really need to take the next step. Offensively this year he is shooting 38% from the field Yup, that pretty much sums it up. Their reflection has shown a team who will continue to be competitive and win many games in the Big Ten, but does not have the same feel as last years team.
5. Minnesota: "Still Dre", Dr. Dre
I'm happy for Tubby Smith. There were murmurs that he might be on the hot seat as recently as last year. He has had some unfortunate luck in his tenure at Minnesota. Royce White quitting the team via YouTube (shocking, i know), the fall out and transfer of Devoe Joseph and injuries of Trevor Mbakwe. Now he finally has a team with talent and the results have followed.
The lineups were a bit experimental at the beginning of the year with Eliason starting, but Tubby quickly moved Rodney Williams back to the 4 where he is most effective and starting Mbakwe at center. The team rebounds really well and can D up anyone in the Big Ten. Their perimeter is very big and the size will bother most opposing backourts. The Gopher's flaw seems to be the lack of a true PG. Thus most of the onus falls on Andre Hollins to provide offensive creativity. The back of his jersey reads "Dre Hollins", which is pretty sick and his play is backing that swag up. 14.5 ppg and shooting over 42% from three with a high usage rate is impressive. This team has lost two straight but @IU and Michigan are nothing to be ashamed of. Expect them to be battling for a top 4 place and subsequent bye in the B1G tourney.
At this point "Death, taxes and Bo Ryan" is a cliche that is overused, but there is a reason for that. Bo gets his team ready to play more than anyone else in the star studded coaches of the Big Ten conference. Consider this, he has the best win % in Big Ten history, even above RMK. He also has finished fourth or above the last 11 years. Amazing results for a guy who just got his first McDonald's All American this year. Bo's coaching style is widely accepted as boring and slow, but he wins. I even considered picking the song "All I do is Win" and it really would have fit Ryan’s dance moves, but I ended up picking "Gives you Hell". This Grantland Piece highlights how Ryan might be ruining the game, but more importantly frustrates opponents by always dictating the pace. He also oddly resembles the Grinch, which almost makes him the devil right?
Wisconsin lost Jordan Taylor to graduation Ryan Gasser (edit) to injury making their backcourt incredibly thin. Ryan has found a way once again though to stay successful. No one player jumps off the box score for Wisconsin, but everybody contributes. I have been most impressed with Sam Dekker of late. He has embraced his sixth man role and had scored in double digits three straight games before last night. Ultimately it is hard to say how far this team will go in March, but Bo will have them in the tournament. No one will want to play Wisconsin come tourney time because you will have to face the cruel and unusual punishment of Bo's swing offense.
(NOTE: They were ranked above Indiana until last nights loss)
Wisconsin lost Jordan Taylor to graduation Ryan Gasser (edit) to injury making their backcourt incredibly thin. Ryan has found a way once again though to stay successful. No one player jumps off the box score for Wisconsin, but everybody contributes. I have been most impressed with Sam Dekker of late. He has embraced his sixth man role and had scored in double digits three straight games before last night. Ultimately it is hard to say how far this team will go in March, but Bo will have them in the tournament. No one will want to play Wisconsin come tourney time because you will have to face the cruel and unusual punishment of Bo's swing offense.
(NOTE: They were ranked above Indiana until last nights loss)
3. Indiana: "You Drive Me Crazy ", Britney Spears
The Hoosiers have been toying with my heart all season and continue to keep me up at night. I wonder why/how a team can look so good in first halves against UNC and Minnesota, and look so stagnant against Iowa, NW and even Penn State at times. IU fans will cite, "well it's tough to win on the road in the Big Ten". First of all Big Ten teams went 7-3 on the this last week. Then add the fact that there was more red in the stands against NW than purple and that no one goes to Penn State games and we are running out of excuses. Also when you're complaining that your team is ranked too low at #8 and then scream its tough to win at Northwestern or Iowa, it's a little hypocritical. A top 5 ranking comes with a certain level of expectation.
I had cited in an earlier post that this Hoosiers team would only go as far as their defense. They have answered that bell so far IMO. 15th overall in defensive efficiency according to KenPom and their rotations continue to improve. We all know the Hoosiers love to run, but they haven't always been able to dictate pace and have looked dreadful in the half court. I believe the problem lies with role distribution and preparation. Lets take a quick look back at the Wisco game. One minute left, IU is down 5 with the ball. They can make it a 1 possession game. Yogi dribbles aimlessly around, hands off to hulls. Jordy has no space, stops his dribble and throws it to Christian Watford in the post. He forces a post up and throws himself into Bruesewitz trying to draw a foul and it hits the side if the backboard. Wisco boards, IU loses. Thoughts on that possession:
1. That's the best shot they can get with a game on the line!
2. Tom, please call a play for your best player. Cody at least needs to touch the ball
When IU gets into a half court game, they need to define roles better. Jordy needs to be spotting up coming off screens with some freedom. He can't be expected to create too much. Also more Vic on the ball. He has the athletic ability to go by those most Big Ten defenders. The possessions where Cody and Victor don't touch the ball is inexcusable. There also has to be an alternative to just "lets speed up the game". I don't see the bench production being a huge problem, you only really need 8 guys to play big minutes and I have faith that Will and Remy will find their groove soon. IU can be a top 5 team, they just need to show more consistency.
2. Michigan State: "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough", Marvin Gaye
How many times can I short a Tom Izzo team at the beginning of the season and then watch them constantly improve in Big Ten season while getting ready for March. This was Draymond Green's team last year. Day Day's usage rate was off the charts for a player who wasn't a guard. Clearly there was going to be an adjustment period. At the beginning of the season Izzo was starting both Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne together at the 5 and 4 respectively. He soon found out that did not work very well. For one, their combined basketball IQ might add up to Vince Young's wonderlic score. Also this team does not shoot well from the outside to begin with, so Appling and Dawson need lanes to drive through. The spacing was hampered by the two big boys inside. Once Izzo slid Dawson to the 4 everything started to fall in place. Recently Izzo has gone back to starting thw twin towers. Apparently Travis Trice and Valentine were just not cutting it.
Izzo is proving again that no roster obstacle can get in his way of molding a Final Four team. While I remain skeptical of this teams offensive prowess, their perimeter defense is outstanding. With plus defenders such as Appling, Gary Harris and Dawson, they can suffocate opposing offenses. Dawson is an absolute beast of the boards as well. He is top 5 in the league with a 17.2% defensive rebounding percentage. He also is starting to look smoother in transition and his athleticism will never be questioned. Gary Harris has been a little up and down for my liking, but his mental toughness has stood out. Never a moment too big for this Indiana native, coupled with a shooter's mentality. Kieth Appling is this key to this team. He can create shots for other's and himself. A new wrinkle to Appling's game has been his in between game. He now takes 41% of his shots as 2 point jumpers compared to 27% last year. Most modern day coaches wouldn't condone taking more mid range jumpers, but considering he is shooting 29% at the rim, its a good thing. A nice win at the Kohl center last night versus Wisconsin and it looks like Izzo will have his troops ready to battle for the title again.
1. Michigan: "Country Roads", John Denver
Michigan has proven to be the only top tier team in the Big Ten in my infallible opinion. John Beilein has to be thrilled with what he has seen on court from his Wolverines. Beilein has been one of my favorite coaches to follow since his 04-05 West Virginia team that reached the elite 8. His son, Patrick, bombing threes; Johannes Herber doing the dirty work; Kevin Pittsnoggle representing for trailer trash everywhere; and Mike Gansey making athletic white guy plays. They were really fun to watch. I was terrified when I heard he was going to Michigan. I couldn't really root for him anymore and especially when his team is this good. You can really see what Beilein can do with elite talent now.
Players 1-6 on this team are all so solid and contribute in many different roles. Mitch McGary and Jordan Morgan do the dirty work on the boards and continue to play big. Tim Hardaway has been more in control this season. I was surprised to see he was not taking it to the hole more than last year, but his shooting %'s overall are very improved. He really could be the x-factor for this Michigan Squad. Also Glen Robinson III has provided much needed size at the power forward spot (lets not forget that Zach Novak played there last year). Robinson has also not tried to do too much this year while shooting 39% from three which is crucial to space the floor in Beilein's system.
My personal favorites on this team are Nick Staukus and Trey Burke. Stauskas can most apply described as a Canadian baller. He has come in with surprising athleticism, good handles and a serious amount of confidence. His confidence can mostly be seen in his shooting. To give you a good idea of his shooting expertise let me describe a drill for you: 5 minutes, one ball, one shooter, one rebounder. You shoot as many threes as you can and can't shoot from the same spot twice in a row. I have done this drill many times and let me tell you it is more tiring than you would think. The first time Stauskas stepped onto a Michigan practice court he shredded the school record shooting 78/91 in a 5 minute span. That's 85% and shooting every 3.3 seconds for those of you counting at home. To give out a benchmark my brother and I top out at around 45 and get up 75ish shots (Jordy hulls has made 80 + before). Anyways that's unreal. More importantly he is shooting 49% from three so far this year and I don't see it going down too much.
Trey Burke is what makes this team go, I had the theory that Burke would not get much better this year (similar to a cody zeller like sophmore year). I was completely wrong. He's averaging 20 points a game and 7.2 assists per game(4.6 last year). He also cut his tunover % in half while keeping the same ridiculously high usage rate. He only plays at a pace that he is comfortable in, has added a mid range J and gets his teammates involved. At this point he is the NCAA version of Chris Paul.
Michigan will probably be in the top 5 all year and have a chance at a national title. They move the ball so well on offense that even I have fun watching. I'll get to see them in person when they visit Assembly Hall in about a week. John Beilein really just needs to follow those country roads home back to West Virginia so I can root for his teams again.
2. Michigan State: "Ain’t No Mountain High Enough", Marvin Gaye
How many times can I short a Tom Izzo team at the beginning of the season and then watch them constantly improve in Big Ten season while getting ready for March. This was Draymond Green's team last year. Day Day's usage rate was off the charts for a player who wasn't a guard. Clearly there was going to be an adjustment period. At the beginning of the season Izzo was starting both Derrick Nix and Adreian Payne together at the 5 and 4 respectively. He soon found out that did not work very well. For one, their combined basketball IQ might add up to Vince Young's wonderlic score. Also this team does not shoot well from the outside to begin with, so Appling and Dawson need lanes to drive through. The spacing was hampered by the two big boys inside. Once Izzo slid Dawson to the 4 everything started to fall in place. Recently Izzo has gone back to starting thw twin towers. Apparently Travis Trice and Valentine were just not cutting it.
Izzo is proving again that no roster obstacle can get in his way of molding a Final Four team. While I remain skeptical of this teams offensive prowess, their perimeter defense is outstanding. With plus defenders such as Appling, Gary Harris and Dawson, they can suffocate opposing offenses. Dawson is an absolute beast of the boards as well. He is top 5 in the league with a 17.2% defensive rebounding percentage. He also is starting to look smoother in transition and his athleticism will never be questioned. Gary Harris has been a little up and down for my liking, but his mental toughness has stood out. Never a moment too big for this Indiana native, coupled with a shooter's mentality. Kieth Appling is this key to this team. He can create shots for other's and himself. A new wrinkle to Appling's game has been his in between game. He now takes 41% of his shots as 2 point jumpers compared to 27% last year. Most modern day coaches wouldn't condone taking more mid range jumpers, but considering he is shooting 29% at the rim, its a good thing. A nice win at the Kohl center last night versus Wisconsin and it looks like Izzo will have his troops ready to battle for the title again.
1. Michigan: "Country Roads", John Denver
Michigan has proven to be the only top tier team in the Big Ten in my infallible opinion. John Beilein has to be thrilled with what he has seen on court from his Wolverines. Beilein has been one of my favorite coaches to follow since his 04-05 West Virginia team that reached the elite 8. His son, Patrick, bombing threes; Johannes Herber doing the dirty work; Kevin Pittsnoggle representing for trailer trash everywhere; and Mike Gansey making athletic white guy plays. They were really fun to watch. I was terrified when I heard he was going to Michigan. I couldn't really root for him anymore and especially when his team is this good. You can really see what Beilein can do with elite talent now.
Players 1-6 on this team are all so solid and contribute in many different roles. Mitch McGary and Jordan Morgan do the dirty work on the boards and continue to play big. Tim Hardaway has been more in control this season. I was surprised to see he was not taking it to the hole more than last year, but his shooting %'s overall are very improved. He really could be the x-factor for this Michigan Squad. Also Glen Robinson III has provided much needed size at the power forward spot (lets not forget that Zach Novak played there last year). Robinson has also not tried to do too much this year while shooting 39% from three which is crucial to space the floor in Beilein's system.
My personal favorites on this team are Nick Staukus and Trey Burke. Stauskas can most apply described as a Canadian baller. He has come in with surprising athleticism, good handles and a serious amount of confidence. His confidence can mostly be seen in his shooting. To give you a good idea of his shooting expertise let me describe a drill for you: 5 minutes, one ball, one shooter, one rebounder. You shoot as many threes as you can and can't shoot from the same spot twice in a row. I have done this drill many times and let me tell you it is more tiring than you would think. The first time Stauskas stepped onto a Michigan practice court he shredded the school record shooting 78/91 in a 5 minute span. That's 85% and shooting every 3.3 seconds for those of you counting at home. To give out a benchmark my brother and I top out at around 45 and get up 75ish shots (Jordy hulls has made 80 + before). Anyways that's unreal. More importantly he is shooting 49% from three so far this year and I don't see it going down too much.
Trey Burke is what makes this team go, I had the theory that Burke would not get much better this year (similar to a cody zeller like sophmore year). I was completely wrong. He's averaging 20 points a game and 7.2 assists per game(4.6 last year). He also cut his tunover % in half while keeping the same ridiculously high usage rate. He only plays at a pace that he is comfortable in, has added a mid range J and gets his teammates involved. At this point he is the NCAA version of Chris Paul.
Michigan will probably be in the top 5 all year and have a chance at a national title. They move the ball so well on offense that even I have fun watching. I'll get to see them in person when they visit Assembly Hall in about a week. John Beilein really just needs to follow those country roads home back to West Virginia so I can root for his teams again.
Don't forget about Gasser for Wisconsin too very big loss.
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